Gregor the Underlander
by ilovemuffincakes
Summary: ok this is my first fanfic so don't be too hard on me...please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_"Ares? Don't go, okay? Don't._

Gregor bolted upright. "It's just a dream." He thought to himself. He'd been having this dream a lot lately, and he knew it wasn't "just a dream." Ares, his bond, the giant jet-black bat, had been killed recently by a 15 foot-tall white rat called the Bane.

Determining that there was no point in staying in bed, he lazily got up and stumbled into the room that his 8 year-old sister Lizzie and 3 year-old sister Boots shared. Noticing that they were both still sleeping, Gregor smiled and snuck out of the room. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a box of cereal and poured himself a bowl.

While Gregor was eating, he started thinking about the Underland. He missed his friends there. A lot. He missed Howard, Vikus, Aurora, Mareth, even Ripred. But the person he missed the most was Luxa. Her wonderful smile, her beautiful face, how she was always happy around him. Gregor shook his head. "No use thinking about her," he thought. "I'll never see her again.

But Gregor couldn't stop thinking about Luxa. About everyone in Regalia. He felt the hot tears forming in his eyes, but this time, unlike any other time, he let them fall. They washed over him, creating a tidal wave of sadness for Gregor. And, at least for a few minutes, he let himself cry. When he finally stopped, he actually felt a little better.

Gregor subconsciously set his bowl gently in the sink and sat on the couch. He buried his face in his hands and just sat there. He ruffled his hair a little, and then moved his hand to his chest. Gregor ran his fingers over the scars the Bane had created with his claws.

Gregor's family had come back from Regalia about a month ago. Fortunately, because of Lizzie's protests, they had stayed in New York instead of moving to Virginia. But to Gregor, it didn't really matter either way. His mother had made him swear never to go down there again, and, despite Gregor fighting it every step of the way, he eventually gave in and obliged.

"Gregor! Get me out!" cried Boots. Gregor hopped up off of the couch and jogged into the bedroom where his sister was. She put up her hands and said, "I want out!" Gregor scooped her up and poked her in the stomach. She laughed.

"Want some cereal, little girl?" Gregor asked.

"Yeah!!" yelled Boots. Gregor cupped his hand over her mouth.

"Shhhh. You'll wake up daddy and Lizzie." he whispered.

Lizzie crept up behind Gregor and grabbed his arm. He jumped.

"You want some cereal too, Lizzie?" Gregor asked.

"Sure." She replied. Her voice sounded distant. But, she had been like that ever since they had left Regalia.

Gregor made them eat quickly, because their dad was taking them to Central Park. Normally, Gregor would have taken the girls himself, but this time, his dad wanted to tag along. Gregor and Lizzie dressed swiftly, and then Gregor yanked Boots' clothes on. After everyone had their clothes on, all three children ran into their father's room and bounced on the bed, shouting, "Wake up, dad! Wake up!"

After their father got ready, which seemed like hours, they sprinted down the stairs (the elevator wasn't working) and hopped in a cab, ready to play at the park.


	2. Chapter 2

Gregor flung the cab door open, and Boots sprang from the car. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, a ball in her hand. Lizzie stepped out of the cab and slowly walked over to a tree. She slouched down, then wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them. Gregor felt really bad for her, no one had been able to reach her since they left the Underland.

Boots was throwing her ball then chasing it. Gregor laughed at her, which made her do it more. Even though he had no idea where she had gotten that ball -- they didn't have a ball like that at home -- he laughed. She loved to play fetch for some strange reason.

"Gregor!" his dad called. "Come here, I need to talk to you for a second."

Gregor held up a finger, which meant one minute, and jogged up to Boots. "Boots, you need to go sit with Lizzie for a minute while I talk to daddy." He told her. She obediently went and sat beside Lizzie. Gregor hurried over to his dad's side. "Yeah dad?" he panted.

His dad hesitated a moment, then said, "Well…your mother and I have been talking…and…well…we've decided we're going to move." He finally said.

Gregor was mad. How could they move to Virginia? "NO! We can't! What about the Underland? Am I just supposed to leave them? What if they need me? I can't just leave them! I can't! I –"he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he stopped.

"Son!" his dad shouted. "You didn't let me finish."

"Oh. Right. Sorry dad." Gregor said. Maybe his dad just meant like, to a house or something. He listened warily.

Nothing could have prepared Gregor for the answer he was given. "We are moving," his dad said, "to Regalia!"

Gregor's heart stopped. What did his dad just say? Did he say they were moving to Regalia? "What? We are? We're gonna – We – I – why?" he asked.

His dad smiled. "Because, son, we aren't a normal family. We've seen things no one could've ever imagined. No one is happy here." He paused. "Well, except for your mother. But she wants _you _three to be happy. If you're happy, she's happy. You and Lizzie have been depressed since we got home, and your mother can't stand it. So, we're going back. For good."

Gregor punched the air. "Yes!" he cried. "Can I _please _tell Lizzie and Boots?" he begged. His dad nodded, and he took off toward the tree his sisters were crouched under. When he finally reached it, he stood there with his hands on his knees for a second before he spoke. "Lizzie…Boots! Guess…what!" he said breathlessly. "We're…moving…to…Regalia!"


	3. Chapter 3

**OOPS! Oh yeah. Disclaimers Note: I don't own anyone who you see in the Underland Chronicles. I only own anyone you might see who isn't in the series.**

Lizzie's head shot up. "What did you say?" she asked.

"We're moving to Regalia! Mom and dad realized that we aren't happy here so they're gonna move us down there! Isn't that great?" Gregor replied.

Lizzie stood up. She got an odd look of both excitement and shock on her face, and then ran over to their father. She wrapped her arms around him so tightly that Gregor thought his dad's head would explode. "You mean it? We are? When?" she asked.

"Tonight," replied his dad, "if you will be ready then."

Gregor said, "Well what are we doing here? Let's go pack!"

His dad smiled. "Let's."

The family raced to the curb, then, while Gregor's dad was signaling for a cab, Lizzie spoke. "So…are you…uhh…excited to see Luxa again?" she said. She was having a hard time suppressing a laugh.

Gregor glared at her. How did she know? "How do you know about that?" he snapped.

She was giggling, but managed to squeeze out the words "I saw you kiss her, dummy."

Gregor was burning with embarrassment. If she had seen, who knows how many others had too? Lizzie, seeing he was embarrassed, immediately stopped laughing. "I'm sorry Gregor. I didn't mean to embarrass you. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." She said reassuringly.

A cab pulled up beside them, and the family piled into the car. None of them could sit still the whole ride. Gregor thought about Luxa, Lizzie thought about Ripred, and Boots thought about playing ball.

It seemed like an eternity before the tired screeched to a halt. Everyone tumbled out of the car and made a mad dash to their rooms. Except Boots, who stood in the middle of the living room, looking confused. Gregor, Lizzie, and Gregor's dad all packed everything they owned, except for their clothes, because those would be burned if they were brought to the Underland.

When Lizzie was done, she packed all of Boots' toys and such. When Gregor finished, he sauntered over to the couch and collapsed, flipping on the T.V. Boots saw the T.V. flick on and sat down by Gregor. "We watch Spongebob? Please, Gregor?" she begged. So, Gregor changed the channel to Spongebob and lay down on the couch.

Gregor's dad took the liberty of packing his mother's stuff as well. While Gregor was lying on the couch, he thought. A certain person came to his mind, and he had a sudden urge to ask his father a question. "Dad?" he called. When his dad came into the room, he continued. "What about grandma?"

His dad had a solemn look on his face. "We put her in a nursing home. She'll be better off here. We can come back up whenever and visit, but she needs to stay up here, for her safety." He said sadly. Gregor nodded. He understood.

Gregor's eyes started to flitter. He knew that he was exhausted, but he couldn't sleep now, he just couldn't! He fought sleep for about 5 minutes, but his eyes kept staying closed longer and longer every time he blinked. Then, his eyes closed the final time, and he drifted off into dreamland.


	4. Chapter 4

"Gregor? Gregor wake up, it's your mother. C'mon, sweetheart, get up. We gotta go." His mother said softly. Gregor opened his eyes. How long had he slept?

"Whatimizzit?" he asked groggily.

"It's 5:30. You've been asleep for about 5 hours." replied his dad. Gregor jumped up. Oh my god!

"What?! Why didn't you guys wake me up sooner?! Let's get going! Sheesh…." Gregor said. He grabbed his bags, as did everyone else; but just then, they heard a knock on the door. Now who could that be?

"Hello? It's Mrs. Cormaci. I hope you guys haven't left yet, because I brought you some lasagna." Gregor's mother opened the door. Just the thought of Mrs. Cormaci's lasagna made everyone's mouths' water.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cormaci. I didn't expect to see you again." His mom said.

"I know, but I had to say goodbye to you all. I also brought food and a present." said Mrs. Cormaci. She set the lasagna on the table and Lizzie got some plates and forks. Mrs. Cormaci also set a plastic bag on the table. When she opened it, she revealed a brand-new hardhat, a couple of replacement batteries, and some brand-new steel-toed work boots.

Gregor was shocked. "No way!" he cried. "Thanks!"

"No problem, Gregor." She replied.

They all sat at the table and served themselves some lasagna. The dinner was silent; everyone was savoring their last moments with Mrs. Cormaci. The only sound made was chewing. Dinner seemed to be over in a flash.

No one was ready for dinner to end. Mrs. Cormaci made rounds, saying tearful goodbyes and giving hugs. When she got to Gregor, she stopped. She pulled something out of her pocket, and everyone gasped. "Here. You might need this. Goodbye, Gregor. Goodbye, everyone." She said. She hugged Gregor, and then patted his cheek. "Goodbye." And with that, Mrs. Cormaci was gone.

Gregor was still staring at the object she had placed in his hands. It was the most beautiful dagger he had ever seen. The blade had dragons carefully carved into it. The sheath had a wonderfully precise painting of a Jade flower on it. The handle was smooth and easy to grip. It was perfect. "Wow…." Gregor breathed. "This is amazing."

"Well, we better get going." He heard his dad say. He subconsciously grabbed his bags and slung them over his shoulder. "Gregor put that away. You can gawk at it later." He said, half jokingly. Gregor obediently crammed the dagger into his pocket.

They all hurried on to the elevator. Gregor willed it to go faster. He wanted to get out of the elevator and run to Regalia. He would do it, too. If his family weren't with him. But they were, so he had to go at the same pace as them. The elevator lurched to a stop. Gregor grabbed Boots' hand and dragged her to the grate. "We go see Temp, Gregor? We go see Temp?" she asked.

"Yeah Boots, We're gonna go see Temp." Gregor replied.

When they arrived at the grate, they all stopped. His mom spoke. "Ok, Lizzie and I will go first, then your father and Boots, then Gregor. Ok?" she said. They all nodded in agreement. With that settled, she sighed and crawled into the grate, Lizzie at her heels.

After Gregor's mom and Lizzie were down a little ways, his dad put Boots down the hole, said, "Here goes nothing," and disappeared into the funnel. Gregor listened for his father and, deciding that he was far enough down, looked around.

"Goodbye, Overland." He said happily. Finally he would be in a place where he fit in and was respected! Also, he had fallen in love there, so he could have that too. "Life in the Underland will be much better than life in this place." He thought. And, still lost in thought, Gregor mindlessly climbed into the grate and was shrouded in mist.


	5. Chapter 5

Gregor chuckled when he heard Boots scream, "Whee!" in delight. Then he closed his eyes and imagined the Underlander's responses to his showing up. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud "Oof!" as his mom and Lizzie hit bottom.

Just seconds after his mom and Lizzie hit, his dad and Boots hit. Gregor clicked and using his echolocation, he spotted a familiar figure in a far tunnel. "Aw crap." He thought. "Not who I wanted to see first." Then he hit bottom.

"Hold on, wait here guys." Gregor said. Using echolocation, he found his way over to the figure and said, "Hey, Ripred. What are you doing here?"

"Jeez, I thought you'd never find me." replied the overly sarcastic rat. Once Lizzie realized who it was, she ran, or at least tried to run, over to him.

"RIPRED!!! Oh I missed you so much!" she squealed. She buried her face in his fur. Ripred had taken a liking to Lizzie, which was strange to Gregor, because he didn't really _like _anyone.

Ripred smiled. "I missed you too, Liz." He hugged her and then turned to the rest of Gregor's family. "I can take you all to Regalia if you'd like." He said.

"Sure." Gregor said. Ripred nodded (or at least Gregor assumed he did) and grunted. Gregor opened his backpack and took out the almost forgotten headlight, handing it to his mother. She turned it on, and then they followed Ripred through the tunnels.

"What are you doing here, Overlander?" Ripred asked when they were out of earshot.

"My parents decided that since me and Lizzie were so depressed we would move down here. I can't wait to see Luxa!" he exclaimed.

Ripred snickered. Then, a little flicker of sadness showed on his scarred face. "The Queen has not been out of her room since you left. She won't stop crying. Everyone is really worried about her. That's why I was on my way to the grate. To make you come back." Gregor felt his heart break in two. He had hoped that she would get over him, not lock herself in her room and cry.

"Oh. Thanks. I'm glad that you were gonna come get me. I didn't want her to suffer like me." Gregor said. He felt a twinge of pain in his chest as he thought of Luxa locked in her room, her beautiful face wet with tears. He almost started crying himself, but a voice startled him.

"We're here." Ripred said. They had come to the city wall. The guards had shocked looks on their faces. They let the group pass, exchanging excited glances. As Gregor's family and Ripred made their way up to the palace, they got many shocked and excited looks from the Underlanders. When they finally got to the palace walls, they felt like celebrities.

As the group stepped onto the platform that would take them up to the top of the palace, Gregor couldn't help feeling giddy. "Luxa! I'm coming!" he wanted to call out. As they were on their way up, Boots, who had dozed off in the beginning of the trek, was awake now, and she asked, "We go see Temp? We go see Temp, Gregor?" Gregor laughed.

"Yes, little girl, we go see Temp." he chortled. He was actually excited to see the cockroach. Ever since about a year ago, when Temp had first saved Boots, Gregor had felt in debt to him. Boots would probably be dead if it weren't for Temp, and Gregor was grateful.

The platform stopped abruptly, and everyone hopped off. Gregor was about to head to Luxa's room when he was suddenly yanked into a bone-crushing embrace.


	6. Chapter 6

"Mareth!" Gregor squeaked. "How…are…you?" he managed to say. Mareth, realizing that Gregor couldn't breathe, let him go with a grin too big for his face.

"I thought you were not returning, Gregor!" he exclaimed. "I am well, now that you are here!" he said. Gregor laughed. He was still gasping for breath from Mareth's hug.

"Yeah. Me too. But we're staying here!" he said. He was suddenly excited. This place was now his home! Well, not that it hadn't been before, but now it truly was.

"Forever?" questioned Mareth, trying to hide his excitement.

Gregor smiled. "Forever." He confirmed. He could see that Mareth was about to explode with joy at this information.

Mareth spoke. "Shall I inform the Queen?" he asked.

Gregor had almost forgotten about Luxa. He answered, "No thanks, Mareth. I want to tell her myself." Then he had a horrible thought. What if she was just as sad and depressed as he was? He hoped that she wasn't, because he couldn't even stand to see her cry. "Is she alright?" Gregor asked, a genuine look of concern on his face.

Mareth's face darkened. "She and Aurora are scarcely seen. They rarely leave their room." He said sadly. Gregor's heart fell. He had hoped Luxa would get over him. He had assumed that she would, because she always seemed to get over things quickly. Maybe, because of everything she had gone through, she couldn't handle any more heartbreak.

"I-um-can I-uh-go?" Gregor sputtered. He was anxious to see her again, to make her happy. He knew she would be happy to see him, too. Then Gregor remembered his family was behind him, with no idea where they were supposed to go. "Can you help them, Mareth? Find us a place to stay and stuff? Please?" he asked Mareth.

"Yes I will." He smiled at Gregor, and then ushered Gregor's family in the direction of the bathing room.

Gregor bolted towards Luxa's room. "If she's as depressed as everyone says she is, I will rip my heart out and feed it to the rats." he thought. Obviously he wouldn't, but that's what he would feel like doing. When she was sad, she tended to cut herself off from all feelings, which was worse than hearing her cry.

Gregor was drawn from his thoughts because he had arrived at Luxa's door. He pushed it open slowly and quietly. When he noticed that she wasn't in the main room, he decided to check her bedroom. Heart pounding, he quickly crept over to where her bedroom was and just stood in front of the curtain for awhile. When he finally mustered up the courage, he took a long, deep breath and pulled back the curtains.

What Gregor saw broke his heart. Luxa was sprawled out on the bed, looking a little on the thin side. Her face was, if possible, even paler than normal, and streaked with tears. Her eyes were red and puffy. Aurora was next to her bed sleeping, but when she heard Gregor come in her face lit up. She was about to wake Luxa, but Gregor pressed his finger to his lip and shook his head, and she backed up.

Gregor tiptoed to Luxa's side and sat on her bed. He lightly touched her arm and she jumped a little. He whispered, "Luxa, wake up. Wake up, it's me, Gregor." Her eyes flew open, and for a moment she just stared at him. The she rubbed her eyes, thinking he was a dream. When she saw that he wasn't, her face brightened and she lunged into his arms.


	7. Chapter 7

Gregor laughed as Luxa practically tackled him onto the bed, and he could hear Aurora's typical "huh huh huh" which meant the bat was laughing too. They sat up and Gregor chuckled, "Did ya miss me?" even though he knew the answer.

"Of course I missed you, Gregor! Why have you come back?" she asked. Then, a little quieter this time, she said, "I did not think you would return."

"I thought I was gone for good too, but guess what? Mom decided to let us stay here!" Gregor replied enthusiastically. He felt like jumping for joy when her face broke into a grin.

"Oh, that's wonderful, Gregor!" Luxa cried, diving into his arms again. Gregor just wanted to sit there forever with her in his arms. He kissed her cheek.

"How are you Luxa? Have you been okay since I left? Mareth said you and Aurora hardly ever left you room." Gregor asked. He was dying to know how _she_ said she was feeling, not how everyone else _thought_ she was feeling.

Luxa looked down. Gregor could tell that what Mareth said had been true from the look on her face, but he wanted to hear it from her. "I am well now Gregor. But yes, it is true what Mareth told you. I have not been well since you left. I cried almost every night. I did not think I would see you again." she said in a low voice. "How have you been?"

Gregor said quietly, "I haven't been very good either. I've been really depressed and stuff and my mom was really worried. I had to try and hide from my sisters because I didn't think they'd understand. Lizzie was like that too. I think that's why my mom moved us down here. She was afraid we would hurt ourselves or something." Gregor felt tears stinging his eyes. He noticed that they weren't because he was sad, but because he was really happy. Really, _truly _happy. He blinked them away quickly, brought Luxa's face up to his, and kissed her.

To Gregor, it was the most passionate kiss they had shared. For a moment, he forgot all the bad things in his life. His grandma's absence, every scar, every battle, everything. And Luxa forgot Henry's betrayal, all the duties she had as queen, her grandmother's death, Vikus' stroke. They were just two normal thirteen year olds. The two were so involved with each other, they didn't notice that Gregor's family, Howard, Ripred, and Vikus were all standing at the curtain, mouths open wide.

When they finally did realize they weren't alone, it was too late. They pulled away quickly and blushed. Luxa looked down and her skin was so red she looked sun burnt. Gregor's face was also red, though not as red as Luxa's. He looked around at everyone. Vikus looked amused and his eyes were twinkling, Howard was fuming and glaring at Gregor, Gregor's parents were smiling, Ripred was smirking, Lizzie was unsuccessfully trying to suppress a laugh, and Boots was confused. "Well, I told you, didn't I? I _told_ you the Overlander was in love with the queen!" taunted Ripred. Then he gave a cruel laugh, which angered Gregor. Why does he have to be such a jerk?

"Shut up, Ripred! I was-we-we were-um-uh-talking." Gregor spluttered. Vikus eyed him with interest, which embarrassed him even more. Gregor's parents looked exceedingly happy that he had his first girlfriend, which made Gregor smile.

"I hope I am not interrupting anything," Vikus said in his best formal voice, which, at the moment, was horrible because he was trying not to laugh, "Because there is something the two of you should see. If you will follow me, I will take you to it." Then he motioned for the group to follow. Everyone followed except Gregor and Luxa.

"We're going to be in a _lot_ of trouble aren't we?" Gregor said. "Well, at least with Howard." They both laughed. They started walking.

"Yes, I think Howard will be very angry with us. But that is fine. He is not the boss of us." Luxa said. She grasped his hand and they followed Vikus down the hall.


	8. Chapter 8

Howard turned around, walked quickly up to Luxa, grabbed her arm and walked away. Gregor caught up just enough to hear their conversation, which he figured was about him. He followed quietly, and this is what he heard:

"Luxa, what were you thinking?! You know he is not staying here!" Howard whispered loudly. No one except Gregor heard him.

"That is not true! Gregor is staying here now! He told me so before you _barged_ into my room! So leave us alone!" Luxa half-whispered. Gregor was glad it was her protecting them, not him, because he would probably cave in to Howard's anger.

Howard was at a loss of words. He couldn't decide whether to lay off of the two or keep bugging them and never let them out of his sight. He wanted to protect Luxa; she was like a sister to him. But if she was angry with him, she wouldn't want anything to do with him, and that would be worse than her and Gregor together, right? As a battle was going on in Howard's mind, Luxa looked back at Gregor. Howard watched her; she looked at him with such love in her eyes. Gregor returned the look, and the battle in Howard's mind was won.

"As you wish, Luxa. I will leave you alone." Howard said. Luxa was surprised, as was Gregor. "I did not approve of your relationship because I thought that Gregor would only leave, and I cannot stand you being so broken-hearted. But, as long as he stays, you have my approval." He said. Gregor was stunned. Howard, of all people, just told them that he didn't mind them being together. He was the only one to resist them being together, and now he just said it was okay.

"Huh?" was Gregor's answer. Howard laughed, then slowed up to Gregor's pace and clapped him on the back. Then he jogged up to the others and started talking to them. Luxa had slowed to Gregor's pace and was now holding his hand. They looked at each other, then Howard, then each other again. "Okay, what just happened?' Gregor asked.

Luxa laughed, "I do not know. But I think it is a good thing." She kissed Gregor's cheek. Gregor smiled and looked at his family. They had stopped at the end of the hallway and were waiting for him and Luxa, who were about 50 feet away and walking slowly. Boots was jumping up and down impatiently.

"Hey, warrior! Could you and the royal pain hurry it up?! Jeez!" whined Ripred.

"Ripred is so impatient!" Gregor thought. Luxa was glaring at her rat bond, so Gregor said, "Shut up, Ripred." And, just to make Ripred even angrier, he and Luxa slowed down even more, smiling at each other.

Ripred looked like he was going to attack them. Luxa gave a smug smile and kept walking slow. Gregor just had to laugh at her amusement. She loved making Ripred mad. "Alright, alright. You've made your point. Now could you _please _hurry up?" Ripred said through clenched teeth. So, instead of slowing down even more, they sped up, because Ripred, _the_ most impolite rat any of them had ever known, had just said please.

When Gregor and Luxa arrived at the door everyone was standing around, they were both shocked and a little angry. Because, there, in front of them, was a room they thought they'd never see again. The Prophecy Room.

Uh-oh.

**Ok guys. I need your help. I can't, for the life of me, figure out a name for the prophecy he sees or the prophecy itself. I'm not good at those things, and I can't update until I have them. So help would be appreciated. Pretty pretty please! And whoever thinks up something good might get some sort of reward. I got to think of a reward first though. Thanks much!**


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